The present invention relates to baling apparatus and pertains particularily to an apparatus for inserting a tag into a bale.
The tagging of bales of hay and the like to indicate the source and to identify the producter of the hay has come into use in some parts of the country today. Such tagging has been found to be desirable not only to indicate the source of the hay to insure quality but also to identify the source or owner of the hay in case of theft or the like. While the present invention is described and designed primarily for the marking of bales of hay, the system and concept can be utilized for the tagging and identification of any baled medium such as cotton, waste paper, and other waste products or refuse.
While an external marking or tagging of bales or the like is a simple matter such tagging is frequently ineffective especially where theft has occurred. Such external tags can be easily and quickly removed, or replaced without leaving any indication of the source or identified location of the product.
For this reason internal tagging wherein a tag is inserted at a predetermined position in the bale has become a popular technique for tagging or identification of bales. It is desirable that the tag be inserted at a selectable predetermined location in the bale which may vary from producer to producer.
While many mechanisms and apparatus have been proposed in the past for tagging and inserting a tag into bales of hay and the like such mechanisms have been unsatisfactory. One of the major drawbacks to such prior art apparatus or devices is the unreliability thereof.
For this reason it is desirable that some bale tagging apparatus be available which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and yet effective and reliable in the tagging of bales.